TOPIC:

Herbert John Anthony Throckmorton Esq.

Lieutenant, Royal Navy – Anglo Boer War
Captain, Royal Navy – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal to Lt. H.J.A. THROCKMORTON. R.N. H.M.S. Barossa.
- 1914-15 Star blank original
- British War Medal to COMMR. H.J.A. THROCKMORTON
- Victory Medal to COMMR. H.J.A. THROCKMORTON
- Special Constabulary Long Service Medal GVR to SUB-SECT.LDR. HERBERT J.A. THROCKMORTON

The Throckmorton's are one of the oldest Roman Catholic families in the realm. They survived the purges by Henry VIII (and others) when it was not de rigueur to be one of the faith. The family's ancestral seat is Coughton Court in Warwickshire where they still hold sway (with the assistance of the National Trust). Herbert was highly thought of and was Lieutenant aboard HMS Barossa in the Boer War. He went on to command HMS Sunflower in WWI and received the praise and thanks of the Lords of the Admiralty for his prowess on board her. He later blotted his copybook and incurred the same venerable gentlemen's' displeasure when the Sunflower "crossed in the channel" which was a prohibited action.



The name itself conjures up images of Ye Olde England and Throckmorton didn’t disappoint. The Throckmorton’s had an early association with South Africa when, at Estcourt in Natal, Herbert’s uncle and namesake, Herbert Throckmorton, died 19 March 1871 at the age of 27. What he was doing in the country is unknown.

Such is the Circle of Life, as his uncle was breathing his last in sunny climes far away, Herbert was seeing the light of day for the first time in Marylebone, London. Born on 11 June 1871 he was the son of Richard Charles Acton Throckmorton and his wife Frances Stewart Moore. Richard was the 10th Baronet Throckmorton of Coughton of Warwickshire and, as such a gentleman and man of property who had served in India with the 87th Foot before retiring at the age of 31 with the rank of Captain.

As a young boy Herbert would have had plenty of siblings to play with – these ranged from Richard Courtney Brabazon b 1866, Basil Charles Dalberg Acton b 1870, Brenda Mary Stourton b 1873, Irene Gertrude Mary Preston b 1875, Mowbray Nicholas b 1876, Angela Elizabeth Mary b 1881 and Geoffrey Berkeley William b 1883. Almost all of whom were to make their mark in life.

With the dawn of the 1881 England census a 10 year old Herbert was a border at St Basil’s School in Frognal Hall Street, Hampstead. He was not alone in that older brother Basil was also a pupil there. Four years later, in September 1885, he appears as a student with the HMS Conway Training Ship – the intent being clear that he was destined for the Navy. The admission register proves to be very informative – it would seem that, after his stint at St Basil’s, Throckmorton moved on to St Benedict’s at Fort Augustus before heading for the Conway. His school fees per Quarter were £42 plus £6 for clothing and a further £4 for “extras.”

Judging by his report card he was anything but a stellar student – under the “Naval Report” category for Xmas 1885 he was rated as Fair in Ability and Application and Good in Conduct. The July 1886 report under this category rated him as Fair in Ability, Satisfactory in Application and Good in Conduct. Under the “School Report” category he performed less well – the Xmas Quarter revealing Fair Application and Ability and Very Good Conduct but it was the July 1886 report that was to define his school career whilst there – on this occasion he was rated as Fair in Ability but, damningly, as Unsatisfactory in Application and Conduct.

It was no wonder then that, a mere two months later, on 24 September 1886, he left for London and service aboard Sobraon. Here he was bound for four years, until 1890, as an apprentice to Devitt & Moore who had expanded their nautical operations to the training of sea cadets, and The Ocean Training Scheme, devised by Lord Brassey and Thomas Lane Devitt, was begun in 1890. Known as the 'Brassey Scheme', its vessels were owned jointly by Lord Brassey and Devitt & Moore but managed by the latter company. The object was to develop a method of training officers for the Merchant Marine. Apart from practical seamanship, training instructions were provided on board the vessels to teach the cadets arithmetic, algebra, geometry, navigation and nautical astronomy. Throckmorton was in very capable hands.

That the above was true was borne out by his appointment as a Midshipman in the Merchant Navy – this came about in 1896 and followed on from a gruelling five years spent training at President and Southsea in that order, which saw him, quite literally sail the Seven Seas, aboard the likes of Carthage and Glenartney. He was awarded the Certificate of Competency as a Second Mate on 16 July 1891 and had, previously, been gazetted a Midshipman in the Royal Navy Reserve on October 15, 1895. His home address was provided as 10 Seville Street, Lowndes Square, London.



By now sea water was coursing through Throckmorton’s veins. His date of entry to the Royal Navy of 3 January 1896 confirming that he was a man of the sea.

Promotions followed – to Acting Lieutenant on 11 June 1896 and to Lieutenant on 2 January 1898 whilst aboard Warspite, Howe and Barossa – this interspersed with a Gunnery Course, successfully attended. It was aboard the Barossa that he was to earn his medal for the Anglo Boer War – having been promoted to Lieutenant he was de facto second in command of the ship. The Barossa was a 3rd Class twin screw cruiser of 1,580 tons and 1750-3000 HP. She served between October 1899 and March 1901 attached to the Cape Station and was commanded by Commander W F Tunnard. Twenty five of the men went ashore at East London to assist the landed forces but Throckmorton was not one of them.

The Boer War over Throckmorton continued to serve on a variety of vessels, all in the rank of Lieutenant over a period of many years. The 1911 England census has him as a 39 year old Lieutenant aboard the armed cruiser HMS Imperieuse under the command of Commander Algernon Greville who rated him as “zealous and tactful.” Being both of the aforementioned wasn’t going to be of much use with what was to come - on 4 March 1912 he was involved in the sinking of Temperley Lighter C.120 – although the details of this incident are not known “blame was attributed to Lt. Throckmorton” – no doubt the reason why his request for a year’s extension to his term was “not approved” in September 1912. 1912 was an important year for him on another front, he married Ethel Mary Stapleton-Bretherton in Kensington, London on the 9th July.

Perhaps his superiors had a change of heart as he was still in service when, on 3 May 1913 he was granted leave to have his Appendix removed. He was regarded as fit to travel by 20 June 1913 but granted leave until 25 August 1913. War broke out on 4 August 1914 and it was “all hands on deck” for the Senior Service. Whilst serving aboard Columbine, he must have requested promotion, the response coming in October 1915 was not what he would have desired, “Application for acting rank of Commander refused with regret. Admiral Lowry states he (Throckmorton) could not continue to serve in present appointment if granted acting rank of Commander as he would become senior to Acting Commander Highfield which is not desirable.” In the same report it was noted that his Captain “States Throckmorton is a zealous and willing officer, trustworthy and a tactful assistant.”

A plaudit was soon heading Throckmorton’s way. He had returned to the Imperieuse from 10 May 1916 until 22 August 1916 and, on 7 September 1916, had finally been given command of his own ship, HMS Sunflower. During that time the ship was based at Granton as part of the First Minesweeping Flotilla (consisting of the sloops Godetia, Carnation, Dahlia, Daphne, Iris, Lilac, Marigold, Myrtle, Pansy & Sunflower) and 2 Hunts (Quorn & Zetland).



Scarcely two months later, in November 1916, he was informed that “his conduct in “Sunflower” during the engagement with an enemy submarine was much as to merit Their Lordships commendation.” In the same month, on 15 November 1916, he rendered assistance to the Norwegian vessel S.S. Gista, once more earning plaudits and “appreciation of his good seamanship in bringing “Gista” into Queenstown under difficult weather conditions.”

Another shot at advancement was attempted in January 1917 where, in respect of Throckmorton’s application for promotion to Acting Commander rank, Admiral Bayley stated, “Has done Very Good work in command of H.M.S. Sunflower. I can thoroughly recommend him.” This appeared to do the trick and he was elevated to Acting Commander with effect from 22 January 1917

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Throckmorton, he blotted his copybook in the eyes of his superiors in April 1917 when, still in command of the Sunflower, he incurred their wrath in the,

"Action of Sunflower in crossing prohibited area in the North Channel in their Lordship's opinion excuse of the C.O. is inadequate and they consider that his action points to carelessness and neglect to pay orders."

So what was this all about? It must be remembered that Sunflower was part of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla, tasked with very responsible work in keeping the North Sea as mine-free as possible. By crossing the prohibited area - he endangered his ship by traversing an area known to have been mined, for which a prohibition order had been given. There were very many British defensive minefields laid in the North Sea and English Channel (and other areas around the UK coast) to protect against unwanted intrusion from U-boats and units of the German High Seas Fleet and to impose the maritime trade blockade of Germany – and, equally, there were also many other minefields laid by German naval forces.



A detailed look at the Sunflower’s log for April 1917 has her working, most days, weather permitting, out of Scapa Flow to Kirkwall (Orkney Isles) and sweeping various channels depending on her orders. On Tuesday, 5th April she spotted a submarine and depth charges were dropped where the submarine was last seen. At 9 a.m. on the 24th a minefield was located at the south-east entrance to Kirkwall, it was swept and cleared in formation with five German mines being destroyed. Other than the above, perhaps unsurprisingly, no mention of crossing a prohibited area is mentioned in the log.

Surviving that censure from Their Lordships, Throckmorton sailed on. Captain Holland reporting on 7 June 1917 (probably at his review) that he was “Satisfactory, average – a loyal, willing and competent officer. His age and long service make him unsuitable in a flotilla where the bulk of commanding officers are very junior.” Nine days later, on 16 June 1917 he was given the command of the Havelock. Havelock was an Abercrombie-class monitor of the Royal Navy designed for shore bombardment. Having served in the Dardanelles in June 1915, she remained in the Eastern Mediterranean until returning to England in January 1916 at which point she then served as a guard ship at Lowestoft. Refitted on Tyne in June 1917, at which point Throckmorton assumed command, she had AA firing and occasional false alarms but saw no further action.



The war came to an end on 11 November 1918 and, at about that time, in December 1918, Commodore Ellison put Throckmorton forward for promotion. Nothing coming of his efforts, he tried again in June 1919. Possibly with his intervention Throckmorton was placed on the Retired List with the rank of Commander dating back to 11 June 1916. This was immediately followed by his promotion to Captain (Retired) in recognition of his service during the war (D.L. 15.3.1920)

Now aged 50, what did the future hold for a man who knew no other life than a Naval one since the age of 15? Long overdue family time with his wife and two children was sure to follow. According to the 1921 England census the family lived at 49 Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft. Ethel was only 37 but had already given him five children – Nicholas, Barbara, Anthony, Richard and Robert. To cater for the family’s needs three servants were on hand – two nurses and a cook.

He was the subject of a slight controversy reported in the Yarmouth Independent of 15 December 1923. The article read thus:

“At Lowestoft Police Court last week before the Mayor and other magistrates, Commander Herbert John Anthony Throckmorton of 49 Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft was summoned for being in charge of a motor car, in High Street, Lowestoft, on November 29th, without exhibiting a light in accordance with the regulations.

P.C. Gooch spoke to seeing defendant’s car standing at the High Street-end of Duke’s Head Street. He could not find the owner, but was told he was attending a meeting at Holm View, High Street. When spoken to defendant replied, “I though the Corporation was doing me a good turn by leaving the arc lamp on. I’m very sorry.”
After it had been established that Throckmorton’s car had no lights, “Defendant said he left the car in Duke’s Head Street and there was sufficient light about to make lights on his car useless.”

The upshot was that a fine of 5 Shillings was imposed.

The 28th February edition of the Portsmouth Evening News carried the distressing news that his wife Ethel had passed away but this setback wasn’t about to lay him low for long; he came out all guns blazing in a letter which appeared in the Daily Mirror of 13 November 1931. Headed “Gunpowder Plot,” he wrote,

“I see in a letter from Mr Lines that he says that Coughton Court was the home of one of the conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot. May I correct him? It was and is the home of my family, who had nothing to do with the Plot.

H Throckmorton (Capt., R.N., ret), The Grange, Beccles, Suffolk.”

At the time of the 1939 Register, he was still living at The Grange in Beccles with brother Basil, and children Barbara and Robert. That he was quite active in community affairs was evidenced by the fact that he was a Sub Section Leader in the Special Constabulary and, by an advertisement which appeared in the Beccles & Bungay Journal of 31 August 1940, where he was spearheading the,

“BUY YOUR OWN SPITFIRE”: Campaign by Captain H.J.A. Throckmorton, R.N., retired, of Beccles. The residents of the Waveney Valley between Diss & Burg St Peter now have an opportunity to buy their own Spitfire. The members of the Auxiliary Fire Service have contributed £5. At least £5,000 is needed. “The marvellous achievements by our Spitfire fighters and their masterly pilots, particularly since the air warfare over and around our island livened up in the middle of June, have thrilled every one of us. Every day there are fresh exploits of skill and bravery.”

This venture was to be, almost his last hurrah, the aforementioned publication, the Beccles & Bungay Journal of 4 January 1941 announcing, “The Death of Captain HJA Throckmorton, RN of the Grange, Grange Road, Beccles, who was aged 69. He became a Lieutenant in 1898, Lieutenant Commander in 1906 & Commander in 1917. During the Great War he was in command of HMS Havelock. He retired in 1919 with the rank of Captain. During the last few months Capt Throckmorton has acted as Chairman of the Waveney Valley Spitfire Fund through which £3,000 was sent to the Ministry of Aircraft Production in December.

Very fond of sailing, Captain Throckmorton has been Commodore of the Beccles Amateur Sailing Club since April 1939. He had lived in Beccles since 1925 and previously at Lowestoft. In 1912 he married Ethel Mary, daughter of the late Frederick Stapleton-Bretherton. She died in 1929. He is survived by two sons - Lieutenant Nicholas JA Throckmorton, who is serving abroad in the army and Anthony JB Throckmorton, who is a student for the Roman Catholic priesthood, and a daughter, Miss Barbara Throckmorton. He will be a loss to the Catholic Church - one of its staunchest supporters.”

Throckmorton’s estate amounted to £26 354 – a sizeable amount which was bequeathed to his sister Brenda and brother Geoffrey, a clerk in the House of Commons.

Hebert Throckmorton had breathed his last.

Acknowledgements:
- KizmeRD from the Great War Forum for background info and map
- Beccles and Bungay Journal
- Ancestry and FMP for census data, medal rolls and probate
- The National Archives for Ships Log April 1917 and Service Record